As we go ‘back to basics’, learning how to make things we take for granted might be a welcome distraction. We turned to Toronto artist Ava Roth (some of you may have seen her encaustic paintings displayed at HG Home), who, when not painting and making honey from her backyard apiary, makes her own sourdough. Ava's adapted, simplified sourdough recipe from San Francisco's Tartine may inspire you to finally make your first loaf. In another Toronto home, leveraged buyouts and private equity attorney Wendy Del Mul is spending her time in isolation cooking. She has perfected homemade butter (Wendy recommends 45% grass-fed cream from Sheldon Creek Dairy) among other recipes she's normally too busy to try. If you decide to try your hand at homemade bread or butter, we'd love to hear - or see - how it went.

Make your own Sourdough

Whether you're an amateur baker looking to take your skills to the next level, or simply looking for something to do, sourdough might be your answer. True sourdough is made from a natural yeast known as a starter. To get you in the mood, we suggest the Netflix series Cooked, where food writer Michael Pollan explores how cooking shapes our world and tries his hand at sourdough. Local artist and baker Ava Roth (right) has demystified the process for us so that anyone can produce their own loaf.

Make your own Butter

As we become more interested in how and where things are made, making your own butter is just one example of how you can be part of the Slow Food movement. Founded in 1989 as an alternative to fast food, Slow Food strives to promote local, sustainable food and small businesses as an antidote to industrial food production and globalization.

The Accompaniments